Alexa Efraimson of Washington state, using confidence borne of breakthrough workouts and mantras written on her leg, won the girls’ race of the season in frigid conditions last Saturday at the 10th Nike Cross Nationals high school championships in Portland, Ore. In her long anticipated showdown with Elise Cranny of Colorado and two-time NXN defending champion Sarah Baxter of California, Efraimson, a 16-year-old junior at Camas High, used a scintillating kick to break away from her two rivals en route to a course record 16:51 for the rugged 5K layout at Portland Meadows.

Course Conditions: In contrast to last year’s leg-sucking mud, some of the coldest weather Portland has ever seen brought temperatures in the teens and wind chills close to zero on race morning. Fortunately, a sparkling sun provided a dose of comfort and the consensus was that a deep freeze was preferred to a swamp.

Race Plan: Efraimson and her coach, Mike Hickey of Clark College, near Camas, had looked at films of Baxter’s races, taking note of her front-running, take-no-prisoners style. Hickey told Efraimson to stick close even if the early pace grew rich, to be in position to use her lethal kick.

Parental Authority: Alexa was also guided by her mom, Chantel, a triathlete with Ironman credentials. Before the race, Chantel told her daughter, “Alexa, dream big. This is your gift, your time to do it.”

Tremendous Trio: As cold as it was, there was plenty of heat in the crackling drama of the girls’ race, ballyhooed since last summer. Efraimson, Cranny and Baxter broke away from the field of 199 girls (22 teams plus 45 individual qualifiers) on the opening straightaway and made it a spectacular three-runner affair. They traded the lead on the circuitous route, twice rolling over the set of five man-made hills and skirting the set of hay bales as a bundled-up crowd watched running history in the making.

Home Stretch: Late in the race Efraimson looked troubled as she slipped behind and let a small gap grow, but it was a brief hole indeed, like a bad patch in a marathon. “I tried to stay calm under fire,” she said. In the last quarter-mile, with the home straight beckoning, Efraimson told herself, “You need to use your kick, you need to start going.” She bolted ahead with assurance, her miler’s stride irrepressible on the hard, sun-lit paths.

Finish Line: Efraimson raced home in 16:50.1 with Cranny second in 16:53.8 and Baxter third in 16:57.8. Those times will be rounded “up” to 16:51, 16:54 and 16:58. Past the line, the three girls (all shattering the 2008 course record of 17:27 held by Chelsea Sveinsson of Texas) were spent. Baxter’s knees buckled and she had to be held up. Once the girls were composed, there were hugs all around, offerings of solace and respect. Efraimson felt the searing effort as a moment to behold. “With so much competition in one race,” she said, “it was really special.”

Dazzling Pedigrees: Baxter, a Simi Valley senior headed for the University of Oregon, came into NXN never having lost a high school cross country race. Cranny, a Niwot senior, ran a 4:15.07 1500 last spring and won the NXN Northwest Regional on Nov. 23 by 33 seconds. Efraimson captured the World Youth Games 1500 bronze medal in Ukraine last summer and defeated this fall’s eventual NCAA runner-up in an open race in October.

Meeting Cain: As a junior, Efraimson has plenty of time to nibble at some of Mary Cain’s royal territory before going on to college. (She’s already “ahead” of Cain, having defeated Baxter, which Cain could not do at last year’s NXN, where she placed second in her last high school race.) Asked about the possibility of racing Cain in 2014, Efraimson beamed and said, “That would really be fun.”

Training Ground: Efraimson’s program included mile repeats in various forms. In one key session on the track a couple of weeks ago, she ran a 1600 in 4:53, took 10 minutes rest, and ran another 1600 in 4:44. Efraimson did the workout with 40-year-old masters star Ahrlin Bauman, a 4:20 miler and 15:08 5K man.

Mental Toughness: Efraimson said that she tried not to overthink the race for fear of letting negative thoughts creep in. Once in Portland, Efraimson was so wired that she had her roommate write a mantra on her leg, a pre-race ritual, which reminded her, “It’s going to hurt. You’re going to die at the end. You have to give 110 percent and have no regrets.”

Future Plans: Efraimson plans to run indoor track and will likely get invitations (as will Cranny and Baxter) to all the big high school miles, like those at the Millrose Games at the New York Armory and New Balance meet in Boston. Cranny told Running Times that she expects to defend her national indoor mile title in March at the Armory, and there’s a chance that Efraimson, looking for competition, could show up there as well.